1 Answer

Not at all, but it may not be appreciated by your cat. Most cats in my experience prefer to stay dry and rely on their own grooming to keep themselves clean. It’s rare that cats get dirty enough to need a bath.

If you do want to bath your cat, then take care with the products you use. Human shampoos aren’t suitable because they can be too drying. For general cleaning you can use a mild soap free shampoo, and use it only as needed. That means only wash your cat when they’re dirty.

Flea control shampoos are okay only if they are registered for use in cats. That’s because cats can be sensitive to insecticides and should only be treated with products that are labelled for that purpose. Having said that, shampoos aren’t always effective against fleas because they have no residual effect; when the lather is rinsed off, the flea killing effect is gone.

Perhaps an antibacterial or antifungal shampoo has been prescribed by your vet to treat a skin condition. If that’s the case, use the shampoo exactly as directed, and for as long as directed. | 03.24.16 @ 12:48

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